“DIY First Birthday Banner and Matching Outfit”

Birthdays, like boomerangs, come and go, and with children it seems like they come out of nowhere when you least expect them. My daughter will be turning one in April and I do not know where the time has gone, I do not remember throwing that boomerang! Inevitably, time marches on, and in two short months will be the apex of my one-year journey, so far, the crème de la crème…her first birthday party.

So I’ve started planning, and the first thing I had to figure out was the theme! I have decided to stick to a color based theme instead of cartoon characters, if she were older she would most likely demand a Minnie Mouse party, but since she cannot, I have chosen the colors: coral, mint and gold. My first craft, in a line of many, decidedly is a fabric banner. With an additional removable “ONE” banner, because who doesn’t love a cute banner to hang.

The great part of my idea is this labor of love can be used more than once!

Additionally, I will more than likely utilize this in her one-year photo shoot, as well as impromptu shoots I decide to take when I am bored, and if she ends up having a sister, her room colors have already been chosen! Since I have now selected my color scheme, next up is acquiring my materials.

To make a quick and easy fabric banner I have chosen a 15ft spool of twine, ½ yard of five different fabrics (some regular and some textured to make it a fancier looking piece), a pair of fabric scissors, a chalk paint pen and three chalk board triangular pendants.

First I’ve determined how long I wanted this banner to be, I decided on 5ft and then hung it up (I used my dining room window to hang the twine).

Secondly, I folded the fabric in half and measured out eight 2in pieces using a pencil, after I measured out the pieces I cut them into strips keeping them in piles of like fabric.

Once all the strips were cut I determined which order I wanted them to be placed, since I had three textured fabrics and two somewhat ‘regular’, I decided to do a pattern of textured-‘regular’-textured maintaining continuity of order.

In order to get the fabric on the twine I kept the strips folded in half and held the fabric with the fold in front of the twine, I then took the bottom of the fabric under, behind and over the twine and under the fabric loop and pulled it down tight so it looked like the top of a men’s tie and continued that with the remaining 39 pieces.

After completing the fabric portion of the banner, I took a chalk pen and spelled out ONE on the three chalk board pendants, which I then strung along a shorter piece of twine.

Lastly, I tied the shorter twine onto the fabric banner and there you have it my labor of love born into a finished project.

When I finished with the banner I had a little extra fabric so I decided, why not make a matching onesie and what little girl does not need a tutu to complete her outfit? First I gathered my supplies: a 12m onesie, Heat N’ Bond, Fabric, a pencil, an iron, scissors, puffy paint, ribbon and tulle.

To make the onesie, I simply cut a square of fabric approximately 6x6in, then cut the same sized square and ironed that to the Heat N’ Bond. Once those were ironed together I flipped them paper side up and began to sketch the letter 1. When I was happy with the height and width I cut it out, then removing the paper backing, I placed it on the onesie and ironed it on (make sure you use a clean onesie and iron it so you do not have any unwanted wrinkles or shrinking). After ironing on the number, give it a few minutes to cool before outlining with puffy paint and that is it!

Finally, the tutu!

Using my ribbon, I wrapped my daughters waist and tied two tight knots in the ribbon where it met around her waist and then left about three inches on each side to tie a bow. With the tulle I cut approx. 10-12in strips, then used the same method as I did with the fabric and twine to loop the tulle onto the ribbon.